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Chapter 4: Building the Perfect Player Character
CHAPTER 4 Building the Perfect Player Character Read this chapter as you plan and design your PC! 4.1 GETTING STARTED So, you want to do more than just read the posts and follow the exploits of the other players in The Legacy of Sulla. You find the storylines compelling, and you want to become part of it all! Welcome aboard! Before you get started, you have some decisions to make… 4.2 WRITER OR PLAYER CHARACTER? Participants in LOS come in two basic forms: Player Characters and Writers. A Writer is somebody who wants to have their character participate in the life of the game without being concerned with the many intracies of gameplay. As a Writer, your character can interact with the other Player Characters (maybe even marry one!), he/she can attend the Games, wander through the Forum, and post a wide variety of fascinating storylines. What they can‘t do is vie for power. They can‘t ascend the political ladder called the Cursus Honorum. They can’t command armies, vote in the Senate or aspire for high political office. But they can write their hearts out, and have a great deal of satisfying fun doing so! A Player Character (PC), on the other hand, can do it all! The PC can work his way up the political ladder, can command armies and fleets, can engage in trade, train gladiators, hold religious office, and interact across the entire spectrum of play that makes LOS such a fascinating game. Of course, with all of that comes a considerable amount of responsibilities as well! The PC must really follow the rules. He has to submit monthly financial reports, post regularly, etc. etc…. But it‘s worth it, ‗cause the game is just so darn fun! Regardless of whether you decide to participate as a Writer or Player Character, you will have to begin your gaming experience by submitting a Player Profile (see Chapter 1 for a step-by-step guide in doing this). One of the first decisions you must make is this: will your character be a Patrician or a Plebeian? 4.3 PLAYER CHARACTER PROFILES Each Starting Profile reflects a particular aspect of Roman society typical of the First Century BC. Each profile has definite strengths and weaknesses associated with it. The decision you make when selecting a particular profile can have a profound effect on gameplay at LOS, not to mention a profound effect on the type of person you are within the context of the game. 4.3.1 Desperate Blue Blood. You come from the "Famous Families." You are a Patrician of the most noble and notable pedigree, tracing your line back to the very founders of Rome...and beyond. That's the good news. The bad news is that you're seriously lacking cash, land, and good will from the plebs. Practical Aspects: Patrician. High gravitas, low auctoritas, thin bank account, very small land holdings, but a nice house on either the Aventine or Palentine. 4.3.2 Landed Aristocracy. You are a Patrician, but your blood doesn't run quite as blue. You may not possess gobs of dignitas, but you have a decent-sized estate in the countryside, and the People don't hold the same contempt for you as they do the Famous Families. If you embark the Cursus Honorum, you may not have a large group of friends in the Senate to start with, but neither will you be pelted with cabbages should address the People from the Rostra either. Practical Aspects: Patrician. Medium starting gravitas and auctoritas, larger land holdings, moderate bank account, modest house on the Aventine. 4.3.3 Old School Plebeian. You can trace your line back to Rome's beginnings as well, and may even be considered one of the Famous Families, but you were definitely on the other side of the fence during the Struggle of the Orders. You have praetors among your ancestors, and probably a consul as well. Practical Aspects: Plebeian. Medium starting gravitas, slightly above average auctoritas, decent land holdings, moderate bank account, and a nice house in the Aventine or Palatine. 4.3.4 Novus Homo Plebeian. You are a New Man, and proud of it. Nobody in your ancestry ever made it above quaestor, though you have many a fine soldier in your family tree. You've managed your money wisely, and you have a nice nest egg which you can invest as you see fit. The folks back on your tiny family farm are proud of you, and your uncle swears you'll be the family's first Consul...some day. You're well-respected among the plebs, and they know your name in the Subura. Practical Aspects: Plebeian. Low gravitas, high auctoritas, above-average bank account, military experience. Your domus is in a "nicer" section of the Subura, but nothing's forcing you to remain there. 4.3.5 Proud Businessman. Somebody has to see to Rome's economy, and you're just the man for the job. Your family tree contains no famous magistrates to speak of, but more than a few the ancestors who've been a tax farmer for this proconsul or that. You understand that trade is Rome's life blood. During the "troubles" accompanying the later consulships of Marius and the near-royal dictatorship of Sulla, you managed to turn a profit here and there. You disgust the Patricians, but that doesn't keep them from doing business with you...discretely. You've been generous with your advice and reasonable with your loans, so you are not thought of unkindly among the rural tribes or those in the Subura. Should you for some reason decide to enter politics, you might do rather well...with the People, anyway. Oh, and you are on a first name basis with Marcus Crassus, so you've got that going for you...which is nice. Practical Aspects: Plebeian. Money. Mo' Money. Zero Gravitas. Moderate Auctoritas. Really nice digs in the Aventine. The other big negative: your status as an Equite (Knight/Businessman) disqualifies you from membership in the Senate…at least for now. 4.3.6 The NPC Writer Perhaps you want to participate in the story of Sulla‘s Legacy, but you aren‘t really interested in all the score-keeping aspects. You‘re just more interested in exploring a particular character‘s interactions in the game as…well…as just a character! If that‘s the case, then the NPC Writer profile is the one for you. You can be just about anyone as a NPC Writer. You won‘t ascend the Cursus Honorum as a PC, nor will you command armies in battle, nor will you gain a following in the Senate. Other than that, however, the way to literary glory is pretty much open to you. You will still have to construct a NPC which is historically appropriate and viable within the context of the game. We‘ll still need the character‘s name, age, gender, station in life, etc. Since this is a very special category of LOS participant, we request that you work closely with the arbiters in developing your NPC, and that you get our approval prior to beginning. It‘s easily enough to do; just write us at sullas.game@gmail.com, and we‘ll get you pointed in the right direction. The best thing about the NPC Writer profile, of course, is none of that blasted record-keeping is required! 4.3.7 Your Character’s Political Leanings These starting profiles will be modified when your make one of three "political declarations" relating to your conduct during the conflicts between Marius & Sulla: Review Chapter 2 to see if one ―side‖ appeals more to you than the other. 1. Pro-Marius 2. Pro-Sulla 3. Neutral 4.3.8 By The Numbers: Assigning Values to Your Starting Profile We use various metrics to track player characteristics and performance: wealth, influence (in the form of Auctoritas and Gravitas), estates owned, etc. Take a look at the accompanying chart for the values associated with each starting profile. As you see, each profile has its own associated strengths (and weaknesses). Basic PC Starting Profiles 4.4 SPECIAL PLAYER CHARACTERISTICS: CUSTOMIZE YOUR CHARACTER! Once you‘ve chosen your player profile, you may select three ―bonus characteristics‖ (see chart). The bonus characteristics fall into three categories: Personal Attributes, Life Experiences and Special Attributes. 4.4.1 Personal Attributes These attributes speak to your family situation, education, and upbringing: New Man Pleb - Well-rounded Roman: A balanced education, along with some time in the legions, has served you well. - Political Connections: You come from a well-known Senatorial family (or if from non-senatorial stock, at least you know some of the right people) - Gifted Speaker: Your rhetorical abilities impress the People, and even a few Senators! - Virtus: You are seen as "a noble Roman, well-given." - Military Aptitude: Soldiering comes easily to you. There are even some who whisper that you have the makings of another Gaius Marius… - Carouser: You have a reputation for riotous living, and throwing expensive parties. It impresses the mob, less so the Senate. - Reputation for Piety: Considerable donations to the state religion have left earned you a reputation for piety. - Loves Farming: You may be considered a bit of a rustic bumpkin, but you've done well with your farms. After a bumper crop, you expanded your holdings. 4.4.2 Life Experiences Once you struck out on your own, you started doing things ―your way,‖ learning as you went: - Shrewd Businessman: You were in on a pretty sweet deal last year (under the table). - Soldier from birth: Your father was a soldier, and you grew up in the camps. - Promising Advocate: An extra 10% chance that jurors will decide in your favor for your first year of gameplay - Slumlord: You own a shabby insula in the Subura. It's a valuable asset & money-maker, but your tenants are less than satisfied. 4.4.3 Special Attributes Other characteristics which make you stand out from the crowd: - Reasonable Man: You're seen as a refreshing breath of moderation and common sense. 95% Chance Moderate Faction vote for you in your first election. - Censor Owes You: One of the Censors owes you big time (repaying old family loyalties, or do you know a dark secret he'd prefer not to be revealed?) Instant admission into the Senate regardless of qualification; some will resent you for it. (Side note: players will have to meet certain financial criteria before they are admitted to the Senate. If you fall short in the entrance requirements, this is you back-door ticket to a political career!) - Demagogue: You have the makings of another Saturninus! The People adore you; the Senate fears you. - Racing Connections: (my favorite) You know your way around the stables, and you have a reputation for picking winners. It makes you more popular, and also...Buy up to two Chariot Teams at half cost. 2 Ability 2 Fortuna added to your team. - Rustic Uncle: Last year, your childless uncle died, leaving you a sizeable estate. - Rich Uncle: This uncle crossed the Styx without an heir. He left his wealth to you. PC-Selectable Special Attributes 4.5 TIME TO ENGINEER THE PERFECT ROMAN! OK, time to put it all together! We need ten bits of information from you. Send the following information to us (again, that address is sullas.game@gmail.com): 1. Your Character’s Name (see Chapter 1). 2. Your “Log-In” Name (the name you use when logging into Ancient Worlds), if different than your character‘s name 3. Your e-mail address where we can reach you 4. Choose your character's social class: Patrician or Plebeian. 5. Your character’s age. 6. Choose your Initial Player Profile. For Patricians, you have two options from which to choose (Desperate Blueblood or Landed Aristocrat. For Plebeians, you may select Old School Pleb, Novus Homo Pleb, or Proud Businessman.) 7. Select one Personal Attribute (only one!) 8. Select one (only!) Life Experience. 9. Select just one Special Attribute. 10. Tell us your Political Leanings (Neutral, Pro-Sulla, or Pro-Marius). 11. Finally, provide us some information on your character’s biography/back-story; info which will round him out, so to speak: a. Physical description b. Married status (and the particulars of the spouse) c. A short biography (your the life story, family details, past achievements) d. Simple Genealogy (reference to prior characters can only be done with their express permission) e. NPC Associates (characters that are part of your household/clientele, up to a maximum of 5) We'll apply some special considerations, based on your response, and give you your Final Starting Profile. 4.6 OTHER HINTS FOR MAKING YOUR CHARACTER WORK The Name Game. Unless your log-in name is exactly the same as your PC game name, use your character's name in the title of your posts. Make sure it's easy for your audience to quickly identify who it is that's speaking or doing things. Clarity is always good... Avoid Anachronisms and text messaging shortcuts. It's really difficult to keep modern phrases, jargon, and terminology from creeping into our conversations, which are supposed to sound as if they're taking place in the First Century BC. Technical jargon like Appius Terentius saying "OK! All systems are "GO" for our attack on the Illyrian rebels. Synchronize your watches, we attack at 0300 hours" might sound good in a science fiction movie, but would clearly have no place in ancient times. As another example, imagine this conversation between Vitulus and Gallus: "Yo! Gallus! So, dawg, how r u doing on that new bill or whatever?" "It's like TOTALLY jacked up! I was talkin' to that Catulus dude or whatever? And he goes 'Dude, your bill is totally bogus! I'm voting for it...NOT!!' And I'm like "As If!" And he goes 'Jerkwad! R U 4 reel?' And I go 'You suck! U better vote 4 my bill!' And he's all 'Make me!' Then I go 'Whatever!' and he's all 'Whatever!' Seriously." To which Vitulus replied, "LMAO! Dude! That's totally AWESOME!" As you can see, such an exchange would sound perfectly normal in a Southern California shopping mall circa 2009, but would sound rather...strange...in the Forum Romanum of AUC 675! Now, we don't want you to make your statements in formal Latin, nor do we wish you to couch everything in formal Shakespearian English "Forsooth! Wouldst thou accompany me to the Senate, prithy?" But we do expect something that has the appearance of being time-appropriate. Avoid Profanity! Yes, it's true that manly Romans probably used what would today be technically termed "potty mouth" words and phraseology. If "Legacy of Sulla" was limited strictly to an adult readership, we could probably permit this. But we have readers from all age groups, and we have an obligation to keep it fairly clean. That obligation is clearly laid out in the Ancient Worlds Code of Conduct, so a word to the wise should be sufficient. Now, saying that somebody "fell on their arse (or podex)" is reasonable...but watch the use of things like the dreaded f-word, if you please! Once you fill out your PC Starting Profile & Backstory, be sure to submit it to the Arbiters for approval at sullas.game@gmail.com BEFORE you post it at the web site. We can help you refine your character, and catch any errors or conflicts before you get started! The Legacy of Sulla © Copyright 2011 Jim Sebastian